Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > comp.lang.c++ > #82070

Re: I think references should have been const by default

From James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c++
Subject Re: I think references should have been const by default
Date 2021-10-25 10:30 -0400
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <sl6f1d$9q0$2@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (7 earlier) <skuj0p$t60$1@dont-email.me> <sl0nmu$bn3$1@dont-email.me> <sl0qcj$sub$1@dont-email.me> <sl1e73$sl7$1@dont-email.me> <sl5pdi$4au$1@gioia.aioe.org>

Show all headers | View raw


On 10/25/21 4:21 AM, RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk wrote:
...
> Consts in C are pointless because it doesn't have references and its rather
> difficult to "accidentaly" dereference a pointer to update the value its
> pointing to.

Actually, it isn't. All it takes is unfamiliarity with the functions
you're using. I remember, in particular, I've seen messages from several
people expressing surprise that strtok() writes to the string that you
pass it as it's first argument. If the pointers they had tried to pass
to strtok() had been const char * rather than char*, they would have
been reminded of the problem. Of course, they might not have understood
the reminder, if they weren't familiar with functions whose declarations
use "const" appropriately. All of the standard library functions do so,
many other libraries don't.

However, that's only a part of the problem that "const" is intended to
help avoid. The other part is intentionally dereferencing a pointer to
update the value it's pointing act, due to being unaware of the fact
that what it's pointing at is something that shouldn't be written to. In
code which doesn't make proper use of "const", that's a fairly common
mistake, at least in my experience (which is admittedly limited, since
my own code does make proper use of "const").

Back to comp.lang.c++ | Previous | NextPrevious in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread


Thread

I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-21 05:23 +0000
  Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-21 08:54 +0200
    Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-21 09:48 +0000
      Re: I think references should have been const by default Paavo Helde <myfirstname@osa.pri.ee> - 2021-10-21 12:55 +0300
      Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-21 12:57 +0200
        Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-21 13:40 +0000
          Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-21 15:04 +0100
            Re: I think references should have been const by default Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-10-21 16:41 +0200
              Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-21 14:57 +0000
            Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-21 14:51 +0000
            Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-21 12:09 -0400
              Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-21 23:49 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default "james...@alumni.caltech.edu" <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-21 16:21 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-22 16:14 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-22 12:04 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-22 20:47 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-22 13:29 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-23 11:54 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-23 11:22 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-23 12:35 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-10-23 13:23 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-23 13:57 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-10-23 21:02 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-23 15:07 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-10-23 21:15 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-10-23 21:12 -0700
              Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-22 11:13 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-22 19:18 -0400
            Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-22 04:41 +0000
              Re: I think references should have been const by default Chris Vine <chris@cvine--nospam--.freeserve.co.uk> - 2021-10-23 21:30 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-25 04:51 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Chris Vine <chris@cvine--nospam--.freeserve.co.uk> - 2021-10-26 00:53 +0100
            Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-22 09:46 +0200
              Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-22 15:48 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-23 12:21 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-23 12:06 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-23 18:45 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-23 18:58 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-24 12:11 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-24 23:11 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2021-10-24 16:18 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-25 00:58 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-25 08:21 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-25 09:47 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bo Persson <bo@bo-persson.se> - 2021-10-25 12:33 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-25 14:19 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-25 10:59 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-10-25 17:56 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-25 11:11 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-10-26 17:15 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-10-29 06:41 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-25 16:14 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-25 13:14 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 08:18 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-26 12:39 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-10-26 14:29 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-26 15:11 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-26 09:49 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-26 18:38 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-26 11:20 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-26 20:32 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-26 22:18 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-27 04:43 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-27 08:29 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-10-29 06:32 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-11-01 06:12 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-01 08:53 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-11-01 11:26 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2021-11-02 16:19 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-11-02 12:54 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Paavo Helde <myfirstname@osa.pri.ee> - 2021-11-02 23:49 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2021-11-03 00:38 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 14:36 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-26 15:55 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 15:26 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-26 20:35 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-27 04:44 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 11:27 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 10:31 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 14:42 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 11:22 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 15:30 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 12:23 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 12:51 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 14:34 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-10-26 12:57 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-27 07:57 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-27 08:47 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-27 14:29 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-28 05:17 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-28 09:30 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-29 04:47 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-29 05:11 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-29 08:40 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-11-01 06:15 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-27 11:07 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-27 14:30 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-27 17:30 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-27 15:46 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-10-27 16:13 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-27 11:39 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-27 15:51 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-10-27 17:21 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-28 09:29 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-28 11:20 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-27 12:26 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Anand Hariharan <mailto.anand.hariharan@gmail.com> - 2021-10-31 09:22 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-11-01 00:13 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-28 05:20 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-10-27 23:10 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-28 09:30 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-29 04:51 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-29 08:39 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-11-01 06:34 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Chris Vine <chris@cvine--nospam--.freeserve.co.uk> - 2021-10-27 17:41 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-27 19:02 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Chris Vine <chris@cvine--nospam--.freeserve.co.uk> - 2021-10-27 18:21 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-27 11:38 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default JohnnyCameLater@whatsthetime.net - 2021-10-27 15:49 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-27 12:36 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-27 04:57 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-25 18:19 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-25 10:48 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 08:21 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-26 08:37 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 09:02 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-26 11:14 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 14:35 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-27 05:01 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-10-29 06:34 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 10:43 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 15:21 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-26 22:32 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-27 05:04 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 10:42 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 14:48 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 11:52 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-26 10:22 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-26 10:27 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 14:06 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-10-29 06:45 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-29 11:11 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2022-04-25 07:39 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2022-04-25 10:59 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-26 05:29 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-26 08:53 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-26 08:23 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-26 08:40 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-26 05:18 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-26 09:07 +0200
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-26 11:03 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-25 10:39 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-25 10:56 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-25 10:30 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-25 14:39 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-25 11:05 -0400
                Re: I think references should have been const by default "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-10-25 12:45 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-10-26 11:20 -0700
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-25 05:00 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-25 12:13 +0100
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-26 05:36 +0000
                Re: I think references should have been const by default Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-10-25 16:58 +0200
    Re: I think references should have been const by default "daniel...@gmail.com" <danielaparker@gmail.com> - 2021-10-22 12:28 -0700
  Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-21 09:12 +0000
    Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-21 09:52 +0000
      Re: I think references should have been const by default RacingRabbit@watershipdown.co.uk - 2021-10-21 10:36 +0000
        Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-22 04:45 +0000
    Re: I think references should have been const by default James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-21 12:07 -0400
  Re: I think references should have been const by default Paavo Helde <myfirstname@osa.pri.ee> - 2021-10-21 12:18 +0300
  Re: I think references should have been const by default Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2021-10-21 13:13 +0200
    Re: I think references should have been const by default Bo Persson <bo@bo-persson.se> - 2021-10-21 15:08 +0200
    Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-22 04:45 +0000
      Re: I think references should have been const by default Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2021-10-22 07:55 +0200
        Re: I think references should have been const by default Branimir Maksimovic <branimir.maksimovic@icloud.com> - 2021-10-22 11:21 +0000
  Re: I think references should have been const by default "Alf P. Steinbach" <alf.p.steinbach@gmail.com> - 2021-10-21 13:22 +0200
    Re: I think references should have been const by default Juha Nieminen <nospam@thanks.invalid> - 2021-10-22 04:48 +0000
  Re: I think references should have been const by default Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-10-21 13:57 +0200
  Re: I think references should have been const by default Branimir Maksimovic <branimir.maksimovic@icloud.com> - 2021-10-21 21:27 +0000
  Re: I think references should have been const by default Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2021-10-24 14:20 +0000

csiph-web